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1816IIHF News from www.iifh.comTYPO3 - get.content.righthttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssTue, 03 Mar 2015 19:23:00 +0100American women re-launchhttp://www.worldwomen2015.com/en/news/american-women-re-launch/
New “quad” means new players, new ambitions for 2015 “We do a thorough review after every tournament, and certainly a more extensive one after the Olympics,” explained general manager Reagan Carey. “We had a lot of success in the last four years, and we were really pleased with the momentum of the team, and obviously disappointed we weren’t able to secure gold in Sochi. But we also made sure to address some of our needs. We’re going in a positive direction.”

At the top of the list is a change of coaches. Katey Stone, winner of two WW golds but at the wrong end of the scoreboard in Sochi, has been replaced by Ken Klee.

“Katey did a fabulous job for us for four years,” Carey noted, “and she also coached at Harvard, which is a lot of invested time. But as we reviewed everything and wanted to keep things fresh for players, we chose Ken Klee to be our coach for this World Championship. He’ll test out different opinions and maintain the core of what we started with our last quad.”

Not many USA fans will be consoled by the fact that the Sochi final was likely the finest, most exciting women’s hockey game ever played. A 2-0 lead through 55 minutes of play was erased by a flukey goal and then a puck off the post with the Canadian net empty. The 3-2 overtime loss was heart-wrenching for fans of the team, but for the rest of the world possibly not familiar with the sport, it was a great introduction to the women’s game.

“It’s still a game, and there are elements you can’t control,” Carey said. “Our job is to be prepared for the things you can. Some of the changes we made weren’t because of the result of the gold-medal game; they were the result of our overall vision and attempt to keep growing. At the same time, the winning team wins gold at the end of the day, and we have to find a way to get that done.”

So what does that mean for the U.S. team that will compete in Malmo at the end of March? Many changes. Gone are six veterans: Megan Bozek, Kelli Stack, Lyndsey Fry, Gigi Marvin, Josephine Pucci, and Julie Chu. As well, the team will be without star forward Amanda Kessel, who is sitting out the entire season after suffering a concussion in Sochi that has yet to fully heal.

“We have a great relationship with all of those players, and they are all vital members of our player pool,” Carey noted. They’re still in the mix. It’s a long stretch to the next Olympics, and we expect to see some of them back at some point.”

The modus operandi of the U.S. is certainly different from Canada which typically uses a more veteran roster. The experience can be beneficial in big games, but not rolling over the roster enough can create a generational gap.

“We’ve always had a bit of a younger team [than Canada] and that plays to our strengths as a skilled team, but we also need to make sure we have a core group of veterans,” Carey continued. “We have 13 returning players from our Olympic roster. We’re in a good spot where we’re giving younger players some exposure, but we have a great arsenal of veterans.”

The loss of Chu is inevitable but bittersweet. The soon-to-be 33-year-old has played every major event for her country since 2001, but time eventually catches up to everyone, and now seems to be the time for her.

“We had specific roles identified for everyone in Sochi, and Julie Chu was a big part of that,” Carey explained. “She’s taking some time to figure out what her next steps are. It’s a mutual discussion to see if she decides to continue to train.”

The situation with Kessel is clearer but also more worrisome. She was arguably the best female player in the world in the year and a half leading up to Sochi, and her absence will be felt not only by her teammates but the women’s game itself.

“We’ve had good dialogue with Amanda, making sure she’s doing the right thing for her long-term health,” Carey said. “We’d love to see her back in the mix but only when the time is right. Having said that, there are a lot of opportunities for young players to step up and shine while we have some veterans and Olympians working on things.”

The newcomers to the team include two defencemen and seven forwards, all of whom have significant experience at the WW18 level. The youngest will be 18-year-old Meghan Keller who is a rare example of a North American player making the leap from junior to senior hockey in one season.

“It’s exciting to see so many U18 players on the team, and as that program develops, it gives players a chance to jump to the national team sooner,” Carey noted. “Meghan Keller was able to bridge that gap a little sooner than most, but playing at Boston College and with coaches that have experience certainly helps. Her poise as a defenceman and her ability to be an offensive threat is a really nice combination. We’re looking forward to seeing her continue to grow and fit into that role with the senior team.”

Perhaps the biggest name to watch will be Skarupa who led the 2012 WW18 with 11 goals in just five games. Her offence will go a long way to dimming the loss of Kessel.

“Haley has a lot of great skill and is a goal scorer,” Carey enthused. “We’re looking for her to be able to do that, and she’s worked really hard to build up her strength. She’s done a great job at the U18 with Carpenter and Trivigno and Pfalzer, who all played together for two or three U18s. They all have a great relationship. For Skarupa, we’re hoping she has the same impact as at the U18s.”

For Carey, the big question mark will be to see how players who were stars in U18 – and then went off on their own for several years – fare at the senior level, a much faster and skillful game, to be sure.

“There’s typically a gap there and we talk to the players about it so they’re aware that we’re expecting them to train hard and earn that next opportunity, even if it doesn’t come immediately,” Carey explained.

“We’ve also improved our scouting over the last quad which has helped us keep track of a lot of players we might not have otherwise been able to. That was the case with Stephanie Anderson and Zoe Hickel [both of whom last played at WW18 in 2010], seeing those players hit their stride in their own program and be able to get an invite to our winter camp. Each day of camp they got better and better, and we hope they can fill a role with the national team.”

Which brings us to Malmo 2015. The Americans are co-favourites to make it back to the gold-medal game, but will this blend of old and new have what it takes to re-claim top spot in the women’s hockey world?

“The sense of team and sense of leadership has excelled over the last four years,” Regan suggested, “and I’m excited to see our veterans come in and set the tone and help the younger players. We have a great opportunity, but at the same time we have a lot of different players on our team and it’s a short pre-camp. The key for us is to get everybody together and make sure we’re on the same page.”

Head Coach:Ken Klee]]>on topWorldsWomen20 United Stateson lefton rightThu, 19 Feb 2015 09:37:00 +0100Home-ice successhttp://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9409
Czechs, Slovaks win three months before WorldsFor most national teams the fourth international break was the last chance to test players ahead of the ultimate preparation for the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in spring.

As a part of the Euro Hockey Tour, the Czechs played two games against Russia. The home team won in both games, but each time in a different manner. While in the first game they blanked their rivals 3-0, they had to fight until the last minute to get a tight 4-3 win in the second game that was played in front of a sell-out crowd of 16,452 fans at O2 Arena in Prague, the main venue of the upcoming Worlds.

Michal Vondrka shone in both games as he scored three goals and got one assist. "I didn´t expect myself to be so effective to be honest, but I did enjoy both games very much. There was a fantastic atmosphere in each of them," the Czech forward said after the second game.

His performance could push him to the final roster for to the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on home ice in a couple of weeks. "I don´t think that far ahead, the tournament is still very far, but every player wants to represent his country in front of the home crowd and I am not an exception."

For the Czechs the last two games were something special. Two wins against Russians were their first this season and it seems like the team led by coach Vladimir Ruzicka has found its way to winning in the right time.

“I want to win every time. I wasn´t embarrassed by the past losses. We have tried out young players, but now we are fully focused on the World Championship,” the Czech coach said.

Martin Rucinsky, who represented his country for the first time after nine years, made a great comeback on the national team.

“It was a strange feeling. It brings up various memories when you put on the national jersey after such a long time. It reminds of the times of glory and generations of guys who I used to play with on all the successful World Championships and Olympics. To represent my country has always been a great honour for me,” the 43-year-old veteran said after the first match.

Russian coach Oleg Znarok came to the Czech Republic with a young team with a couple of silver medal holders from the last World Juniors in Canada on its roster. Maxim Tretiak, the grandson of Russian goalie legend Vladislav Tretiak, was for the first time on the roster of the senior national team but he has yet to wait for his chance to show whether he can step into his grandfather’s footsteps on the international ice.

Despite the two losses, the Russians showed an attractive performance and in the second match they fought for the win until the very end. The average age of 23 years reflected their lack of experience in international play during both games, but the team of the defending world champion will likely look very different in May.

For Sweden the other Euro Hockey Tour double-header against Finland ended with mixed feelings. The first game in Vasteras had to be cancelled after 2:34 of the second period due to a hole in the ice. It ended with a 1-0 lead for Finland after a goal by Janne Pesonen.

In the second battle between the Nordic rivals in Stockholm, Sweden defeated Finland 3-2.

Finland took the lead at 18:11 on a goal by Kristian Nakyva, but before the end of the period Sweden got a 2-1 lead. Staffan Kronwall scored the equalizer and Nicklas Danielsson gave Sweden the lead 20 seconds later.

Martin Johansson has been the big surprise in the Swedish Hockey League and is second in SHL goal scoring (21). He also scored in his Tre Kronor debut. Johansson stole the puck from a Finnish defender and to put it into Atte Engren’s five-hole for the 3-1 lead early in the second period.

Finland got a late power play in the middle frame and managed to get its second goal 14 seconds before the end. Anssi Salmela's shot from the blueline bounced off two Swedes and left Oscar Alsenfelt without a chance but the game remained scoreless in the third period.

Slovakia wins first tournament of the season

The Slovak national team had a similar pre-event history like the Czechs. This season wasn´t very pleasant for the Slovaks after unsuccessful games at the Deutschland Cup and the Arosa Challenge, but they finally won their first tournament in the season.

The team led by a Czech coach Vladimir Vujtek showed a focused and powerful performance as they scored nine goals in two games. “In four years with the Slovak team, this tournament was our most successful pre-World Championship contest. We scored nine goals and our defence allowed only one. Finally we were able to work with our best players from Europe and it really shows on ice and in the results,” the Slovak coach said after the last game of Slovakia Cup.

In both games, the home team had faced young squads from Germany and Switzerland, which they defeated 4-1 and 5-0 respectively. The Germans brought two debutants to the tournament and the Swiss even five.

“We enjoy our triumph at home in the Slovakia Cup. We played really well and were better in both games. It is safe to say our opponents didn´t have their best players in their squads,” Slovak captain Dominik Granak said.

The Swiss started the tournament with a 4-1 victory against Germany and ended up in second place because their talent just wasn’t enough to beat the home team of the Slovakia Cup.

“We really wanted to win the Slovakia Cup. We had a young and fresh team that is hungry to win. Unfortunately we got beaten by the Slovaks in our last match. We probably paid for our lack of international experience. We had five debutants in this team and that might be one of the reasons why we struggled in that last game,” said Juraj Simek, the Swiss national team forward who was born in Slovakia but moved to Switzerland with his family when he was four years old.

Euro Ice Hockey Challenge

The nations ranked below participated in three tournaments as part of the Euro Ice Hockey Challenge.

Norway won its second tournament of the season. They needed just two wins to reach first place in the tournament held at various venues in Denmark. The first win came in the game against Belarus where the northern team came back from a 2-0 deficit with four straight goals in the second period and eventually beat their opponents 5-2. In the second game the Norwegians started more focused and scored three goals in the first period to eventually beat France 4-0. Despite the scoreless loss in their last game against their rivals from Denmark, 3-0, Norway finished the tournament in first place. The Olimb brothers Ken Andre and Mathis were the driving force with five scoring points each.

Host nation Denmark lost the opening game against France 4-2, and followed with an overtime victory over Belarus. Thanks to the win against Norway they moved up to second place in the final standings. Belarus finished third with four points from a 2-1 victory over France and the overtime loss to Denmark. France came last despite an opening day victory against the Danes.

The tournament in Vienna began with host Austria beating neighbouring rival Slovenia 4-2. In the following games of the tournament it turned out that this opening victory of the home team was crucial for the final standings. The Slovenes played their second game against the Slovak B squad and managed to get a close 3-2 win. Despite the huge 7-0 win over Italy they finished the tournament in second place. Slovan Bratislava forward Rok Ticar scored three goals and got three assists in the last two games to become the scoring leader of the tournament.

The Austrians won their second game against Italy to claim first place despite being beaten by the Slovak B team 3-2 on the last day. The Italians came in third position with their first and only victory in the game against the Slovaks, 2-1. The Slovaks came to Vienna with five bronze medallists from the last World Juniors in Canada, the MVP goalie Denis Godla included.

In the third tournament of the Euro Ice Hockey Challenge in Poland, the home team performed the best. In the first game against Ukraine the Poles took a 6-5 overtime win and didn´t allow a single goal in the following two matches against Hungary and Romania, winning them 2-0 and 4-0 respectively. It was a strong signal for the team that was recently promoted back to the second tier of the World Championship and will host the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A in Krakow. Hungary finished in second place ahead of Ukraine and Romania.

Preparing for U18 Worlds

The past weekend was also a big test for many nations ahead of the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland.

The Five Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic started the best for the home team. The Czech U18 team won their first two games against northern teams from Finland and Sweden. It was tight games. Against Finland two goals in the last two minutes of play led to a 6-4 win and against Sweden the Czechs tied the game in the last minute. In the shootout Czech goalie Ales Stezka managed to stop all six Swedish attempts and his teammate Lukas Jasek decided the match with the winning shot in the sixth round.

After the two straight wins the Czechs started believing they could reach the first place but then they lost 3-2 in overtime to Russia and 6-2 against the United States. They eventually finished in third place behind the unbeaten Russians and the U.S.

Another tournament took place in Slovakia, where the home team was trying to shape its form in preparation to the U18 Worlds. The Vlado Dzurilla Tournament went well for the U18 Slovak team, as they won both games against Switzerland (5-1) and Germany (2-0) before losing to the more experienced Slovak U19 selection.

The last European member of U18 Worlds’ top division played in another tournament in Lillehammer, Norway. Latvia didn’t exactly show a convincing performance and finished last with three straight losses and conceding 18 goals. Belarus won the event ahead of Denmark and Norway.

In another tournament involving Division I nations Slovenia ended up as tournament winner with victories over host Italy (5-1), France (3-1) and Hungary (4-2). It was a good sign for the host country of the Division I Group B tournament that will take place in April in Maribor. Hungary, which finished in third place behind Italy but before France, will host the Division I Group A in Debrecen.

Scouting for World Juniors in Helsinki

The first tournament with U20 candidates for the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship in Helsinki next winter ended last weekend in Gothenburg, Sweden. The home team remained undefeated and won the tournament with four straight wins. After the opening with a lopsided 8-1 victory over Germany, the Swedes had to fight harder for the 4-3 shootout win against Switzerland. They also beat archrival Finland 5-3 and blanked the Czech Republic 6-0.

The crucial game came up on the fourth day of the tournament while the home team faced their rivals from Finland. Suomi had one point more than Sweden, thanks to the fact that they won their first two games in regulation time. The first goal of the game was scored by Finnish sniper Teemu Lamsa, who finished the tournament with five goals. Later on, the Swedes tied the game and even took the two-goal lead in the beginning of the second period. Finland tried to come back with their second goal in the 56th minute of the game, but Sweden regained the lead one minute later. The drama continued when Lamsa scored his second power-play goal just three minutes before the end of the third period. Sweden eventually decided the game with an empty net goal.

For Finland the loss meant second place followed by the Czech Republic, Switzerland and Germany.

Several players were able to shine ten months away of the World Juniors. Swedish winger Robin Kovacs finished the tournament with six points and was one of the offensive stars of the event together with Lamsa.

Weber has been integral to this event since its inception in 2006 – both as player and organizer – but his services have never proved more vital than this year.

In no uncertain terms, Eagle River would be “pond hockey-less” if it weren’t for Weber – just call him the saviour of this year’s tournament.

The tournament – held roughly 362 kilometres northeast of Madison – was scheduled to go off without a hitch from February 6-8 until Mother Nature stymied organizers’ plans.

“We got a pile of snow in November when the ice was forming,” Weber started.

“The snow melted and we were hit with another snow dump which made the lake a slushy mess and unplayable.”

With the standard Dollar Lake out of commission, Weber and other local volunteers took quick, much needed action. They gave the folks at USA Hockey a call – pitching a new location: the Eagle River Derby Track.

On the other end of that last minute phone call was senior director of adult hockey of adult ice hockey, Ashley Bevan.

“Pat's integral involvement has been essential in helping to make a smooth transition to the Derby Track for the 10th year anniversary,” Bevan said.

Bevan sent a team from USA Hockey’s base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to survey the area and they quickly agreed to move to the new site.

The Derby Track, dubbed the “Snowmobiling Capital of the World”, provides the perfect ice surface and hospitality accommodations for participants.

Similarly, Weber was the perfect man to make the connection. Along with his duties as Fire Chief, Weber has also worked for the city utility since 1982. That experience helped him to secure this year’s location, electricity, snow-clearing equipment, volunteers and more.

Weber, who has lived and played hockey in Eagle River for his entire 62 years, said there was no other alternative but to make the tournament happen.

“This year needed a backup plan, so many people rely on it,” he explained. “With some shaky winters, we haven’t had the snowmobiling revenue that we’re used to, so we couldn’t let the hockey tournament cancel as well.”

“This is the [economic] shot in the arm we need,” he finished.

“I'm extremely pleased that the Eagle River community has come together with USA Hockey to provide the very best hockey experience to celebrate the 10th year anniversary.”

Bevan should be pleased, because the annual USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships is a showcase event for the organization’s adult hockey branch.

“This is an important piece to the overall adult hockey program in addition to our other core programs,” Bevan explained.

“Our adult members realize they are part of the largest hockey family in the world,” he continued.

And, that participation funnels into USA Hockey’s larger goals.

“If you’re a member of USA Hockey, you’re helping to grow the entire game, from our national teams at the highest stage down to youth trying hockey for the first time.”

Just as USA Hockey has burgeoned in recent years, so has this particular tournament – realizing significant grown in the past decade.

The tournament has grown from 40 teams and 240 athletes in 2006 to this year's field of 330 teams and more than 2,300 players.

The 4-on-4 round robin tournament features 19 total divisions between men and women for ages 21 and higher. Slots are filled online, similar to concert tickets being released, and this year the tournament sold out in a matter of two days.

Beyond hockey, participants enjoy a social event on Saturday night and a visit from the Stanley Cup.

The almost 90-percent increase can be attributed to a number of factors including better marketing and increased USA Hockey membership (from nearly 76,000 in 2005 to 168,000 in 2014).

However, Bevan and Weber both agree that the NHL’s outdoor games have likely increased participation and fondness for the game’s roots as well.

“It’s about bringing people’s memories back to the way they played the game growing up,” Bevan said happily.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for us, and then you give new adult members a chance to get on the pond with 30 rinks out there. It’s magical.”

Bevan should know about falling in love with hockey late in life. Growing up playing roller hockey in Miami, Florida, he didn’t play ice hockey for the first time until age 25.

Now he’s the director of adult ice hockey and promoting the game on a day-to-day basis. He also coaches his two children, Tori (12) and Grant (9), in their local hockey league.

Back to the hero Weber, there’s a massive family connection at this year’s tournament.

Though Pat won’t be playing this year – he would have played in the 60-plus division, something he emphasized a few times – many close to him will participate in one way or another.

His three brothers, Mike, Jim and Art, will all compete while his wife Lori will act as a scorekeeper. His daughter Julia and boyfriend Jordan will act as referees.

Hundreds of other volunteers will also join the Webers, Bevan and USA Hockey employees to ensure another annual success.

RYAN O’LEARY]]>on topIIHF20 United Stateson lefton rightSat, 07 Feb 2015 09:52:00 +0100Tampere welcomes Inline Worldshttp://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9404
Schedule released for 2015 edition in July It will be the second time after Kuopio in 2015 the Inline Worlds will be hosted in the country and the Finns couldn’t have selected a better year since they will host the event as the defending champion.

The Finnish inline hockey national team defeated Canada 6-2 in the gold medal game last year in Pardubice to win its first gold medal since 2003.

Finland will open the event on 5th July against recently promoted Slovenia while Sweden will play the Czech Republic in the other Group A game. In Group B the United States will face Germany on the first day while Canada will play Slovakia.

Tampere is an experienced host for international hockey tournaments. The Tampere Ice Arena was originally built to host the 1965 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and was also one of the venues in 1982, 1991, 1997 and 2003. Tampere was also the main venue of the 2007 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship and of the 1992 IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championship.

With the tournament planned to take place soon after midsummer, participants can enjoy up to 22 hours of sunlight each day.

The 7,300-seat arena, home of the hockey teams Ilves and Tappara, also has two additional rinks. The second rink will host the Division I tournament, which includes Great Britain, Latvia, Austria and Bulgaria in Group C, and Australia, Croatia, Hungary and Argentina in Group D.

After the round-robin preliminary round, the final round in both divisions will start with cross-over quarter-finals.

Click here for the full game schedule.

MARTIN MERK]]>InLineinline2015on top06 Finland17 Slovenia18 Sweden04 Czech Republic08 Germany20 United States16 SlovakiaWed, 04 Feb 2015 18:07:00 +0100World Cup of Hockey returnshttp://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9386
Eight-team competition set for September 2016 in Toronto The World Cup of Hockey is a joint effort of the NHLPA and the NHL, in cooperation with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). It is expected that more than 150 of the best players in the NHL will participate in this tournament in what should be the biggest celebration of the game.

“The IIHF welcomes the return of the World Cup of Hockey, a fantastic event that should help to raise the profile of our sport and promote the game worldwide,” IIHF President Rene Fasel said. “I applaud the NHL, the NHLPA, and the national associations for their hard work and close collaboration in bringing back such a premier international tournament to the hockey calendar.”

The eight teams will be divided into two Groups of four, and each will compete in three tournament games within their assigned Group in a round-robin format. The top two finishers in each Group will advance to a single game semi-final against a team from the other Group. Winners of the semi-final games will advance to a best-of-three final round. All tournament games (round-robin, semi-final and final) will be played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto from September 17 - October 1, 2016.

“We are thrilled to partner with the NHLPA in planning and producing what we expect will be the world’s best international hockey tournament,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “The 2016 World Cup of Hockey will highlight not only our global reach, but also the skill and passion of the world’s best athletes. We would like to thank our international partners – the IIHF and their members – for their cooperation in helping to make this event a reality.”

“We expect the 2016 World Cup of Hockey to be the most competitive tournament of its kind, with the world's top players and best athletes,” said Don Fehr, NHLPA Executive Director. “We look forward to working with the NHL, and the IIHF and its Federations on this extraordinary event. We expect that this is the initial step in a series of events that will elevate our game over the next few years, including a World Cup in 2020.” The eight teams participating in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey will include Team Canada, Team Czech Republic, Team Finland, Team Russia, Team Sweden, Team USA, Team Europe and Team North American Youngstars.

Team Europe will be comprised of a pan-European roster of players from birth countries outside of the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden – in short, all of the other European countries who are developing world class hockey players in ever-increasing numbers. Countries such as Slovakia, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Denmark, Norway, Latvia, Belarus, Estonia, Slovenia, Kazakhstan and Lithuania (among others) will all be eligible for representation on Team Europe.

The players for Team North American Youngstars will be selected from a pool of the best young hockey players from Canada and the United States. Those players age 23 and under will be available for selection exclusively by Team North American Youngstars.

All eight teams will be comprised of 23 players, including 20 skaters and three goalies. Each National Association has the right to select its own team and must announce at least 16 members of its roster, including at least two goalies, no later than March 1, 2016, with the balance of each team’s roster to be announced no later than June 1, 2016. To select the rosters of Team Europe and Team North American Youngstars, the NHL and NHLPA will jointly name each of the management teams.

The 2016 World Cup of Hockey is scheduled to be played on NHL-sized rinks using NHL rules and officiated by NHL officials. Other competition matters, such as the anti-doping policy governing the tournament, the framework and procedure for supplementary discipline, the medical protocols, media and broadcasting policies and access, etc., will be the responsibility of the NHL and NHLPA in consultation with third parties, including the IIHF, where appropriate.

It is anticipated that the initial portion of training camp for each team participating in the 2016 World Cup of Hockey will begin Sunday, September 4. The training camps will be conducted in the location of each team’s choosing, with each team being permitted to host at least one exhibition game at a site of its choice. During the final days of preparation leading up to the opening of the tournament, the teams will be brought together in a more central North American location for a final pre-tournament exhibition game.

– With files from the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF]]>on topIIHFNHL03 Canada20 United States06 Finland18 Sweden04 Czech Republic15 Russiaon leftSat, 24 Jan 2015 19:30:00 +0100Jincy does it in OThttp://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9371
Dunne's power play winner gives USA 3-2 win & U18 gold“Oh my gosh, it was the most incredible feeling in the world,” an elated Dunne said later, gold medal around her neck. “For me, three years, and we finally won the gold. I didn’t really get a chance to celebrate because I got attacked by my teammates. That’s when I knew it went in. But just to be able to share that experience with my team like that…my family was in the crowd. It was so amazing.”

The gold gives the Americans four in total—the same number as Canada—since the U18 started in 2008.

The game was played before a packed house at HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo, mostly American but certainly a nice Canadian contingent on hand as well. "Playing before such a large crowd was nerve-wrecking for sure," said Canada's player of the game, goalie Marlene Boissonault, "but to know there are family and friends at home supporting us was fantastic."

The Americans outshot Canada, 41-18, and were full measure for their win. Canada dominated the first 15 minutes or so, but after that it was all USA.

Despite their early superiority, Canada could muster only a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes. The visitors opened the scoring on a gaffe from an American defenceman, who simply didn’t see Shae Labbe lurking in the centre-ice area and threw a blind pass that the Canadian intercepted. Labbe went in alone and squeezed the puck past Kaitlin Burt for the early lead.

“They kind of took it to us in the first ten or fifteen minutes of the first period,” Burt conceded, “but we did a really good job of responding and not getting frustrated.”

And, when a team has a captain and marvelous skater like Dunne, a 1-0 lead is hardly safe. She made one nice rush early on and was thwarted, but in the last minute she was not to be stopped. Taking the puck from her own end down the right wing, the left-hand shot cut in on goal and roofed a superb backhand past a startled Boissonault at 19:27, sending the U.S. to the dressing room feeling as though it had won the period.

"Coach reminded us never get too high or too low," Dunne said. "It's a long game, and we felt better and better."

The second period was mirror opposite to the first. Despite being badly outplayed, it was Canada that was lucky to be in a 2-2 tie after 40 minutes. The Americans came out firing on all cylinders, grabbing a 2-1 lead at the 5:00 mark thanks to two excellent plays.

First, Alex Woken made a nice pass from the side boards to Alyssa Gorecki in front, and then Gorecki, despite being covered, managed to get a shot on goal. The puck fooled Boissonault, and the home team had it first lead of the night.

Canada tied it on a play Burt would surely like back. Samantha Cogan skated down the left wing looking for a man in front. Her pass went to no one, but instead of sliding into the corner boards the puck slid into the far side of the goal past a stunned Burt who was playing pass all the way.

The Americans suffered no relapse, however, and continued to pour on the pressure, but Canada managed to hang in there long enough to escape with a tie, 20 minutes left to decide the gold medal.

The third period saw Canada incur five penalties, but these were all the result of superior American play, notably speed and keeping the legs moving. Canada could not match the energy of the hosts, and while the penalty killers and Boissonault were sensational, it seemed only a matter of time before the U.S. finally connected on a power play.

After three periods of regulation, the game was still tied, but the U.S. started the 20-minute overtime with the extra man, now playing four-on-three on fresh ice.

"That's just the way it was," said Canadian forward Sarah Potomak of the penalties. "We killed every one. I give our penalty killers a lot of credit. I don't think they were better than us; they just had more power plays."

The Americans spent most of the first minute in the Canadian end, and when Dunne got the puck on the point, she moved in, took aim, and fired the golden goal.

“I just kind of walked it in and took a shot,” Dunne said. “I saw a small corner and tried to put it there. Anything can happen when you shoot."

ANDREW PODNIEKS]]>on topIIHFWorldsWomen U182015 WW18on top03 Canada20 United Stateson lefton rightTue, 13 Jan 2015 03:14:00 +0100On with the show http://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9369
W18: Expect fireworks in tonight’s USA-Canada battleSame old song and dance? Yes, but judging by the way these two North American rivals elevate their game when they face each other, there’s currently no better matchup to show off how far women’s youth hockey has progressed since this tournament began in 2008.

Canada and the U.S. have played some classics at the U18s, probably none better than in Germany 2009, Chicago 2010 and Finland 2013. Each of these games was decided by a sudden death overtime goal, one that went in for the U.S. and two for the Canadians.

In Fussen, Germany, the second-ever U18 Women’s World Championship , future USA Olympians Kendall Coyne and Megan Bozek claimed the second gold for the Americans. Coyne was the overtime hero, putting in the championship winning goal 6:47 into the extra time after Megan Bozek fed her a perfect pass for a breakaway strike.

A year later in Chicago, the Americans led 4-2 late in the second period but couldn’t withstand a potent Canadian offence. Canadian forward and tournament MVP Jessica Campbell, who had 15 points in five games, deflected a point shot at 3:10 of overtime to cap a terrific comeback by Canada, as the nation won 5-4 and earned its first gold at the U18 Championship. The game was remembered for the kind of end-to-end, lightning fast, physical, skilled, and eminently entertaining play that is the hallmark of a Canada-USA ice hockey matchup at any level.

One of the players for the States participating in this year’s tournament, team captain Jincy Dunne, would recall Finland 2013. In what was another close matchup Canada pulled out a heart-stopping 2-1 victory over the United States in the final, as Catherine Dubois tied the game with 12 seconds left in the third period to set up Karly Heffernan’s game winner 58 seconds into in overtime.

So what can we expect tonight in Buffalo? Probably more of the same, since the two teams have already seen each other in extra time in the tournament’s opening day, which ended with a win for the States in the shootout.

Either way, both teams are ready for a battle in front what is anticipated to be a sellout crowd at the Harborcenter Rink in Buffalo.

“We’re just ready to go, this is our last chance, and we’ve had a great time we’ve been here 16 days and we’re all set to go,” said Dunne, who has been to the last two finals and ended up with silver in both. “We just want to go out there and play for each other, play for the USA and just do it.”

“We know that we are in for a fight,” said Canada goaltender Marlene Boissonnault. “They are so similar to us in so many ways, it will be interesting to see what happens.”

Puck drop is at 19:00 EDT. The game can be streamed live with a fee via Fasthockey.com.

ADAM STEISS]]>on topWorldsWomen U182015 WW18on top03 Canada20 United Stateson rightMon, 12 Jan 2015 20:18:00 +0100Miss Americahttp://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9368
Last shot at U18 gold for Jincy DunneReturning from her first IIHF U18 Women’s World Championship tournament back in 2013, which was held in the town of Vierumaki north of Helsinki, Dunne endured a two hour early morning drive down to the Finnish capital, following by a flight first to New York, then to Minnesota, then finally to her hometown of St. Louis.

For Dunne, who just got back from a tournament where she registered seven points in five games as a defenceman, it wouldn’t have been too much to ask for her to take the night off when she got home. But she didn’t blink when she realized that she had a hockey game that very evening.

“I had gotten off my flight from Vierumaki, with the time change and everything it worked out that I landed in the early afternoon,” said Dunne. “I had a hockey game at 9pm that night and was a mess, feeling like I was all over the place and running into walls. My coach thankfully took it easy on me that night.”

Moving now to 2015, where Dunne is captaining Team USA in her third women’s U18 appearance, this time mercifully on home ice in Buffalo. Her performances with the national team have her labelled as the States’ next great female hockey player by many who have followed her short but distinguished hockey career.

Dunne was born in Naples, Florida but raised in St. Louis, Missouri, two very unlikely locations for an American hockey player to come out of. It was no surprise Dunne, who also plays basketball, grew up mostly playing soccer before eventually moving to ice hockey.

By her own admission she wasn’t the most athletic child growing up, which may have been part of the reason why she moved into the sport after seeing her brother try roller hockey.

“I didn’t want to play at first, I didn’t want to do anything as a kid really,” said Dunne. “But I just fell in love with skating, I loved to skate around the ice and slide on the ice, although I do less sliding now. It seemed easier than running at the time (laughs) back then I was just lazy.”

Good news for USA Hockey. Last season Dunne won Directorate top Defenceman honours at the U18 Women’s World Chanmpionship in Budapest. The year before that, as a 15-year-old all she did was lead all defencemen on her team in scoring with seven points and a +11 rating at the Vierumaki tournament.

Her performances at the U18 level have the mark of a player that women’s hockey fans can expect to see for many years to come. When speaking to Dunne’s coach, and USA hockey officials, among the things that come up are her level of maturity and poise in handling all the attention that comes with being under the microscope at a young age.

“I’ve seen Jincy play for a long time, and coached her in different camps,” said current USA U18 women’s head coach Joel Johnson. “She’s had an interesting and challenging career with USA Hockey, being so young and so gifted. When you’re young and talented you get a lot of opportunities that you work through, and you have to get adjusted to playing often with older players.”

In fact, as a 16-year-old Dunne was seriously being considered for a spot on the U.S. women’s national Olympic team in the months leading up to the Games. She didn’t make it in the end, but the fact that she was among the final cuts at the end of 2013 after just turning 16 that May speaks to a player that is a veritable hockey prodigy.

“The experience was incredible, and I got to be teammates with the best players for the USA, seeing how they compete and how they lay together and dedicate their lives to the game. They have the best attitudes and they give back and that was great to see,” she said.

“Obviously it’s a unique situation to have a U18 player at the top level,” said USA Hockey’s Director of Women’s Ice Hockey Reagan Carey. “For her to experience all that and to come back and have to poise to lead this U18 team, and her ability to be a leader and lead the charge in each game here is special.”

But a hockey fan? Surprisingly not so much, although she counts U.S. defenceman Anne Schleper as a mentor and role model, she takes a more businesslike approach to hockey when asked about who she follows in the sport.

“To be honest I never watched much hockey growing up and even now I don’t watch a lot, I’d prefer usually to watch a movie,” she said. “But definitely Nik Lidstrom is a fantastic defenceman, I love to just watch videos of him and learn from him as much as I can.”

Dunne is anything if not hungry to win, especially as this is her last chance to win gold in this tournament. The last two years at the U18s, despite great performances she was ultimately denied a trophy in consecutive gold medal game losses to Canada.

“I think anytime you get the chance to win a gold medal you feel that drive,” said Dunne. “But for me I think this being my last year at the U18 I want to make it my best year.”

Despite the missed opportunities for gold, she does enjoy the international game and has future Olympic Games in her sights.

“I like the hybrid icing, although I don’t like it when you’re out there for two minutes, but it keeps the game going,” said Dunne. “The 20-minute warmup was new for me too, usually I only get three minutes to warm up before a game, my first IIHF pregame warmup I was going so hard I told myself that I needed to slow down otherwise I’d be too tired for the game!”

Not many hockey players come out of Missouri, and in order to find teams that fit her skill level Dunne played with boys at the high school and club level, and also in girls’ teams like the U19 Lady Blues. The fact that she’s drawn experience from so many different levels of hockey has been a blessing for her development.

“I think that boys’ hockey helped open doors for me and helped me to progress as a player, for me I was never a physical player because I was always playing in an older age group and I was much smaller than everyone else,” said Dunne. “You’d never see me go and body-check someone so it was more about me being smart physically, learning to avoid hits, which helped me on the national team.”

All these experiences have molded Dunne into a mature player, and a team leader at just 17. Said teammate Melissa Samoskevich when asked to describe the influence of Dunne on the team:

“Our team chemistry is awesome and she just adds to it as a player but also the way she talks…it’s like a ball of sunshine to be honest (laughs) I know that sounds weird but that’s how she is, just a true leader and the best I’ve ever had.”

Her coach predicts Dunne will be a factor in today's gold medal game.

“I think she will be," said Johnson. "That doesn’t mean she has to score or generate offence, but she will be. I’m not worried one bit she’s going to have an impact on the game and it will be fun to watch.”

But despite all the experiences and training with the world’s best female players, it’s easy to forget that Dunne’s still a teenager. When asked if the return flight from Helsinki was her toughest road trip, Dunne deferred to an experience earlier this summer.

“No, actually flying back from Calgary this summer was a tough one, originally I had a flight at 7am but they transferred me to an earlier flight that did not in fact exist as there was no plane at the gate.”

“Then they wouldn’t let me on the original flight as it was full. No one could find a connection but they gave me seven dollars for food, which really couldn’t get me anything to eat aside from a pack of gum!”

She was eventually bailed out with some help from USA Hockey, although she had to return to Minnesota via San Francisco, a detour of about 2,000 km. But at least she didn’t have a hockey game when she got back.

“She’s a veteran on the ice but I don’t know about her travel skills (laughs),” said Carey. “We had to track her down and we managed to find her, it’s a reminder that they’re still young girls.”

ADAM STEISS]]>on topWorldsWomen U182015 WW18on top20 United Stateson lefton lefton rightMon, 12 Jan 2015 16:04:00 +0100Finns squeak inhttp://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9355
W18: Sweden wins Group B; Canada, USA get byesBUFFALO–The Swiss won’t be sending Sweden a late Christmas card this year, after Tre Kronor dropped its final U18 Women’s World Championship preliminary round game 3-1 against Finland, sending the Finns to the playoffs and Switzerland to the relegation round on a goal difference tiebreaker. In Group A, USA and Canada are #1 and 2 and thus earn a bye to the semi-finals after rolling through the Russians and Czechs respectively in their games. Click here for scores and stats

Finland – Sweden 3-1 (0-1, 3-0, 0-0)

The Swedes and Finns met for the final game of Group B, with Sweden having a firm hold of the top seed and their northern neighbours needing three points to avoid the relegation round. But the plucky Finns came through, taking advantage of a lapse in discipline by the Swedes in the second period to secure a 3-1 victory and a trip to the playoff round.

“We knew what we had to do and we came out and played well tonight, it was our best game so far and I hope we can continue to get stronger in the playoffs,” said Anniina Kaitala.

Much to the delight of Switzerland, which needed Sweden to keep the Finns from getting three points and the number two seed, Swedish captain Jessica Adolfsson gave her team a 1-0 lead in the first period, scoring off a shot from the point during a late power play.

The game got rough in the second period as the teams traded a few checks along the boards. A roughing penalty on Felicia Linder led to a power play goal in the middle of the second period that breathed new life into Finland, when a shot by defenceman Ani Hietaharju was deflected in front by Nea Katajamaki for the tying goal.

Finland converted on another power play in the second period when batted in a loose puck in front of the net to give the Finns a 2-1 lead. The team then caught a huge break during a Swedish power play, as goaltender Emma Soderberg had a bad miscue when she tried to play the puck after it was cleared out of the Finnish zone. The puck bounced up and over the goalie’s stick, crossing the goal line and giving the Finns an insurance goal.

Down 3-1 after giving up two power play goals and a short-handed one following a misplay by their goaltender, Team Sweden was unable to overcome the deficit as Finland played tight defensively in the third to punch their ticket to the playoff round.

“Our coach told us after the game to forget the loss,” said Swedish captain Jessica Adolfsson. “We know the we have a good team and that we just need to work on some details so we can be better in the playoffs.”

Sweden will face the Czech Republic in the quarter-final game tomorrow (winner faces USA), while Finland takes on Russia (winner faces Canada).

USA – Russia 7-1 (2-0, 3-1, 2-0)

The Unites States needed a win to seal up the top seed in Group A but had no problem dispatching Russia in a 7-1 romp. Paced by a hat trick from Melissa Samoskevich, the American offence overwhelmed the Russians, and is firing on all cylinders going into the playoffs with an undefeated record.

Team USA ran into penalty trouble early on, but in the latter half of the period Jincy Dunne made a great interception of a Russian clearing attempt at the blue line and dropped a backhand pass to Samoskevich coming into the Russian zone. Samoskevich streaked in and cut towards the Russian net, slotting it home for the game’s first goal.

Samoskevich got another one right before the end of the period, getting the puck at the outside of the right circle and throwing it on net. The puck deflected off a Russian defender and into the net for the 2-0 lead.

Russia cut into the lead just over 30 seconds into the second after some sloppy defensive play by the Americans allowed Anna Shokhina to find Kristina Korotkikh with a pass in front of the net. But Team USA rebounded soon after when Alex Woken stole the puck from a defender behind the Russian net and scored a wraparound goal to put her team back up by two.

The Americans then took control of the game 4-1 as Patricia Marshall chased Russian goaltender Valeria Tarakanova from the net with a power play goal, scoring after Samoskevich missed her chance at a hat trick on a wide open net. Woken then assisted on a goal by Presley Norby giving the Americans a four-goal cushion going into the third period.

Samoskevich did eventually earn the hat trick in the third period, knocking in a rebound to bring her tournament total to four. Sophia Shaver added another to complete the 7-1 rout.

Canada – Czech Republic 7-1 (1-1, 4-0, 2-0)

Canada rolled on to a 7-1 victory over the Czech Republic in its final game of the preliminary round. Captain Sarah Potomak had four points and earned Best Player honours as the Canadians clinched both a playoff spot and an automatic bye to the semi-finals.

The Czechs surprisingly got the better of the Canadians early on, getting on the scoreboard first at 11:18 of the first period when team captain Michaela Pejzlova jumped on a loose puck in the slot area and put it past goaltender Marlene Boissonnault.

But late in the period Canada’s top line struck back with a goal from Elizabeth Giguere, her third of the tournament, assisted by Sarah Potomak and Samantha Cogan. Then early in the second it was Giguere’s turn to set up Potomak for a score.

After Sarah-Eve Coutu-Godbout put her team up 3-1, the Potomak-Giguere-Micah Hart line came through again, this time on the power play as Potomak collected her tournament-leading sixth point. Then Lisa Agnew gave the Canadians a commanding 5-1 lead going into the final period with her first of the tournament. Switzerland – Japan 3-1 (0-0, 1-0, 2-1)

Switzerland took care of business in its final preliminary round game, sending Japan to the relegation round with a 3-1 victory. However the victory was short-lived as Finland defeated Sweden in the later game, meaning the Swiss will play Japan in the best-of-three relegation series.

Goaltender Andrea Brandli stopped 25 of 26 shots in the game, while a goal by Kaleigh Quennec and two from Alina Muller provided the scoring for the Swiss.

Japan, needing a big enough win and some help from Finland in order to avoid the relegation round, came out firing against Switzerland in the first period, generating a few good scoring chances but unable to get any pucks in the net.

Then with 9:17 to go and having just killed off a penalty, Switzerland’s Kaleigh Quennec scored the game’s first goal with a shot coming off a two-on-one rush that dribbled past Japanese goaltender Ayu Tonosaki. Switzerland added another in the third period with a nice goal from forward Alina Muller, coming in untouched from the side of the net and beating Tonosaki between the legs with a backhand deke. Muller added another late in the third period, deking Tonosaki on the power play before slipping the puck under her arm to put the game away.

Japan got a late consolation goal from with 23 seconds left in the game, but the result means that the Japanese will compete in the relegation round for the second straight year. However the will get a shot at revenge agaisn thte Swiss, who will join them in the best-of-three series beginning Friday at noon.

The playoff round also begins Friday with Finland facing Russia at 15:30 and the Czech Republic taking on Sweden at 19:00 in the quarter-final round.

ADAM STEISS ]]>on topWorldsWomen U18IIHF2015 WW18on top03 Canada04 Czech Republic06 Finland10 JapanFri, 09 Jan 2015 02:24:00 +0100Jean-Paul Parise dieshttp://www.iihf.com/home-of-hockey/news/news-singleview/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=9353
Father of Zach played in '72 seriesParise was born in Smooth Rock Falls, Ontario, but spent most of his hockey career with the NHL’s Minnesota North Stars, both as a player and later as an assistant coach. He also played for the Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New York Islanders and the Cleveland Barons in the NHL. In 890 regular-season games the forward scored 238 goals and had 356 assists.

Internationally he’s remembered for participating in six of the 1972 Summit Series’ eight games. He scored two goals and had four points but was also assessed a major penalty in the last game.

Also Zach, one of his sons, spent most of his hockey career in Minnesota, with the NHL’s Wild, but represented the United States internationally.